Huber Needle Assembly

Abstract

A Huber needle assembly. The Huber needle assembly includes a housing, a Huber needle having a bent tip, a base through which the Huber needle is slidably disposed, a tip block mechanism, and a safety or restraint mechanism. The tip block mechanism includes a needle block slidably disposed within the base and urged by a spring to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the base. In one exemplary embodiment, the safety or restraint mechanism includes a cable having a first end anchored within the housing and a second end anchored within the base. The cable restrains movement of the housing relative to the base. In another exemplary embodiment, the safety or restraint mechanism includes a collar disposed within the base. The collar is configured to prevent passage of the bent tip of the Huber needle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Huber needle assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a Huber needle disposed in the housing, the Huber needle comprising a tip; and   a base through which the Huber needle is slidably disposed, the base comprising a needle tip blocker slidably disposed within the base to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the base.   
     
     
         2 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to urge the needle tip blocker toward the needle. 
     
     
         3 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises:
 a chamber through which the needle is slidably disposed; and   a chamber in which the needle tip blocker is slidably disposed.   
     
     
         4 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber through which the needle is slidably disposed is a vertical chamber through which the needle is slidably disposed, and wherein the chamber in which the needle tip blocker is slidably disposed is a horizontal chamber in which the needle tip blocker is slidably disposed. 
     
     
         5 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the vertical chamber has a first end and a second end,   the second end of the vertical chamber comprises a cup sized to accommodate the needle tip blocker, and   the needle tip blocker is configured to be urged by the spring into the cup to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the vertical chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the base comprises a first orifice that opens to the first end of the vertical chamber and a second orifice that opens to the second end of the vertical chamber,   the Huber needle is slidably disposed through the first and second orifices, and   the needle tip blocker blocks the tip of the Huber needle from reentering the second orifice when the needle tip blocker is disposed in the cup.   
     
     
         7 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber through which the needle is slidably disposed is a vertical needle chamber through which the needle is slidably disposed, and wherein the chamber in which the needle tip blocker is slidably disposed is a vertical blocker chamber in which the needle tip blocker is slidably disposed. 
     
     
         8 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the vertical needle chamber has a first end and a second end,   the second end of the vertical needle chamber comprises a cup sized to accommodate the needle tip blocker,   the vertical blocker chamber has a first end and a second end,   the second end of the vertical blocker chamber comprises a ramp, and   the spring is configured to urge the needle tip blocker against the ramp and a side of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is not within the vertical chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the needle tip blocker is configured to be urged by the spring into the cup to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the vertical chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the base comprises a first orifice that opens to the first end of the vertical chamber and a second orifice that opens to the second end of the vertical chamber,   the Huber needle is slidably disposed through the first and second orifices, and   the needle tip blocker blocks the tip of the Huber needle from reentering the second orifice when the needle tip blocker is disposed in the cup.   
     
     
         11 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the base comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, a chamber comprising a first orifice through the top surface to the chamber, and a second orifice through the bottom surface to the chamber, and   the Huber needle is slidably disposed through the first orifice, the chamber, and the second orifice.   
     
     
         12 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the chamber comprises a cup, and the needle tip blocker is configured to roll into the cup to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A Huber needle assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a Huber needle;   a base through which the Huber needle is slidably disposed, the base comprising a tip block mechanism configured to block the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the base; and   a cable comprising a first end anchored within the housing and a second end anchored within the base, the cable configured to restrain movement of the housing relative to the base.   
     
     
         14 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the cable comprises a first stop at the first end and a second stop at the second end, the first stop slidably disposed within the housing and the second stop slidably disposed within the base. 
     
     
         15 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the housing further configures a channel through which a portion of the cable is disposed and in which the first stop is slidably disposed. 
     
     
         16 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the base further comprises a vertical chamber configured to catch the first stop,   the channel comprises a first end and a second end, and   the second end of the channel opens to the vertical chamber configured to catch the first stop.   
     
     
         17 . A Huber needle assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a Huber needle;   a base through which the Huber needle is slidably disposed, the base comprising a needle tip block means for blocking the tip of the Huber needle when the tip of the Huber needle is retracted into the base; and   a restraint means for restraining movement of the housing relative to the base.   
     
     
         18 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the base comprises a protrusion and the housing comprises an interior space, the protrusion configured to be disposed within the interior space when the Huber needle assembly is in an insertion position. 
     
     
         19 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the restraint means comprises a cable. 
     
     
         20 . The Huber needle assembly of  claim 17 , wherein needle tip block means comprises a needle tip blocker slidably disposed in a chamber within the base.